Toyota Yaris YR five-door

Value

Fiat Punto Pop

Entry-level model is impressively priced at $16,000 drive-away as part of an introductory offer that doesn’t have an end date. Bluetooth handsfree and USB audio terminals are standard on the Fiat and Toyota, but neither have niceties such as cruise control or parking sensors. The Punto has a five-star safety rating and six airbags, but no airbag protection for the back seat. Fiat’s three-year/150,000 kilometre warranty is more generous than Toyota’s three-year/100,000km deal. Servicing is yearly, but no capped-price peace of mind.

Toyota Yaris YR

Toyota’s online calculator lists it for nearly $19,000 drive-away, but dealers are selling the five-door YR manual at $15,990 drive-away as part of the Toyotathon sale that ends on September 30. Toyota scores safety points by having curtain airbag coverage for the back seat as well as driver’s knee protection the Punto lacks. Yaris buyers can budget on servicing capped at $130 every six months for the first three years or 60,000km.

Winner: Toyota

Inside

Fiat Punto Pop

Has obvious signs of cost-cutting, such as a lack of grab handles and vanity mirrors, and the back seats have wind-up windows. Grey seats with red stitching look nifty, and Fiat’s six-speaker stereo outnumbers the Toyota’s four. Punto’s steering wheel has an excellent range of adjustment for height and reach, though drivers with big feet may find its pedals cramped.

Interior fit and finish is an issue and our test example had poor trim gaps, a glovebox that never looked closed and an intermittent rattle.

Toyota Yaris YR

Doesn’t feel as cheap. Contrasting grey and cream plastic meet across an upright dash and tan seat inserts lift cabin ambience. The steering wheel’s lack of reach adjustment is annoying, while Bluetooth audio streaming gives it an edge over the Fiat which only plays MP3 via USB. Toyota’s hatch is wider and taller than the Punto, and has more rear headroom.

Winner: Toyota

Under the bonnet

Fiat Punto Pop

Uses a fraction less fuel than the Yaris thanks to a stop-start system that turns the engine off while stopped in traffic. But Punto is down on power and torque compared with the Yaris. The standard five-speed manual is a better bet than Fiat’s clumsy five-speed semi-automatic gearbox which costs an extra $1500.

Toyota Yaris YR

Produces more power and torque than the Punto despite having a smaller engine. It’s more willing on the road and an optional four-speed auto gets the job done without fuss for an extra $1600.

Winner: Toyota

How it drives

Fiat Punto Pop

It's slightly longer and heavier than the Yaris, riding on 15-inch wheels with larger tyres that keep it composed over bumps. Fiat’s DualDrive electric power steering offers a choice between meaty or feather-light weighting. Hill-holding function helps novice drivers work with the manual transmission. It feels bigger on the road than the Yaris.

Toyota Yaris YR

Weighs in under a tonne and can feel flighty at times. Its rear suspension skips occasionally over bumps. Quick steering feels at home in the city and both cars feel like they could use a sixth gear to tackle motorways.

Winner: Fiat

Practicality

Fiat Punto Pop

Longer and heavier than the Yaris with 1000 kilograms of towing capacity - 100kg more than the Yaris. The Fiat is has a full-size spare tyre which contributes to its smaller 275 litres of luggage space.

Toyota Yaris YR

A space-saver spare wheel helps the Yaris have slightly more storage at 286 litres. A movable luggage deck can add depth to the boot or create a handy false floor. Roof-mounted middle seatbelt for the back seat eats into rear vision when in use.

Winner: Fiat

Verdict

Fiat Punto Pop

A fine city car that ticks plenty of boxes for would-be buyers. But poor interior execution and a lack of rear curtain airbags hurt it here.

Toyota Yaris YR

A safe, competent car backed by fixed price servicing and an extremely strong dealer network. Toyota is a clear winner with prices currently at parity, but if you're paying full retail price, it could change the result.

Winner: Toyota

Inside this review...

21 comments so far

Of course the Toyota would win against the Euro import. This is almost a pointless comparison given the type of customers who would buy a Yaris is different to those who would buy a Fiat, even though their fit, form and function are the same. It would be more suitable to compare the Yaris against the Mazda 2 or the Fiat against a Renault. with 0-100km/h times included.

Commenter

President Akuma

Location

Australasia

Date and time

September 21, 2013, 9:42AM

True, different customer base. I think a Fiat 500 would be a better bet than the Punto and the 500 would smash a Yaris in terms of interior and performance. I still cant believe that the reviewer thinks the over fussy cheap plastic of the Yaris is better than a Punto..